Rochford

Rochford's population grew in the 10 years leading up to 2011. At the same time there were changes in average age, religion and housing tenure.

The population passed 83,000

Between the last two censuses, the population of Rochford increased by 6.1%, from just under 78,500 to 83,300.

The addition of almost 4,800 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Rochford was home to, on average, 3.5 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was higher than the average across Eastof England

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across Eastof England, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

An older Rochford

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Rochford increased by four years, from 40 to 44 years.

This affluent area had a higher average age than Eastof England and remained older than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The rise in age was because of an increase of about 2,600 people between the ages of 60 and 69 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by about 2,000.

About 13% of people in Rochford are aged between 60 and 69 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Rochford by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Rochford

The percentage of Rochford residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 7.5% to 7.8% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just over 1 in 30 (3.5%) reported being limited a lot in their day-to-day activities, compared with 2.7% in 2001. The percentage of Rochford residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability decreased from 90% to 89%.

The proportion of people who are slightly limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased faster here than in any other local authority district across Eastof England. The improvement brought health in Rochford close to the national average 6.5% in England described their health as good in 2011).

The proportion of people who are limited a little by a long-term health problem or disability was higher than across Eastof England

Percentage of usual residents that reported being slightly limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in Eastof England and the average across England, March 2011

More homes with adult children living with their parents

Rochford saw Eastof England's second-largest rise in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents.

In 2011, just under one in eight (12%) households in Rochford had only adult children living with their parents, compared with 11% in 2001. The percentage with at least one child decreased from 30% to 29%.

Across the region, only Stevenage saw a greater rise in the proportion of households with adult children living with their parents (from 8.8% to 10%).

During this period, Rochford overtook Epping Forest and Thurrock to become the Eastof England local authority area with the third-highest percentage of households with only adult children living with their parents.

The proportion of households with only adult children living with their parents was higher than across Eastof England

Percentage of households where a parent lived with their adult children across local authority areas in Eastof England and the average across England, March 2011

Religion in Rochford

The number of people in Rochford that described themselves as having no religion increased from just over 12,000 in 2001 to just over 23,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 16% to 28% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across Eastof England (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Rochford that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 60,000 in 2001 to just under 53,000 in 2011 (from 76% to 63%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from about 5,800 to just over 6,000. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 7.4% to 7.3%.

About 300 people (0.2%) said they were Muslim, up from just under 170 in 2001 (0.4%).

The population without a religion in Rochford increased by 12 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, East and Rochford by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Rochford that rented privately increased from 4.9% to 8.5% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

The percentage that lived in social housing remained close to 8.3%, while the percentage of Rochford households that owned their home decreased from 86% to 83%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased at a slower rate here than the figure for the whole of Eastof England (from 8.6% in 2001 to 15% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Private renting in Rochford increased by 3.6 percentage points

Percentage of households in Rochford, Eastof England and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

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Area report data

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